Primary schools open later as teachers strike to close the pay gap

Primary schools across the Netherlands will open their doors an hour later on Tuesday as teachers take part in a one-hour strike.

The teachers are campaigning to close the pay gap between themselves and secondary school teachers. They say they earn between 7% and 21% less than their secondary school peers, despite having to deal with increasing workloads.

On Monday ministers warned that there is no money available to close the pay gap in the education sector, making further strike action likely.

Primary school teachers earn a starting salary of €2,896 a month before tax, including bonuses, rising to a maximum of €5,294. The equivalent amounts in secondary schools are €3,074 and €6,289.

The Netherlands has some 7,000 primary schools and nearly all will be affected by the stoppage. On Tuesday afternoon, teachers and parents will gather on the Malieveld in The Hague before handing a petition to parliament.